New attendance figures for Bradford Council schools are a record best, according to the councillor in charge of educuation.

Coun Ralph Berry, executive member for children and young people’s services, said the statistics reflected the hard work taking place to ensure pupils attend.

“I am particularly pleased to see we are closing the gap with the national and regional performance with primary and secondary attendance,” he said.

“ However we are not complacent and more rapid progress is needed to take the district’s results to the national average.”

None of Bradford’s primary or secondary schools were among the top ten attended or ten lowest attended schools in England, according to the Department for Education. The Council Conservative group education spokesman Councillor Roger L’Amie said the whole of the district’s future revolved around its young people getting a good education. “Any improvement is welcome but there is still a lot of work to be done,” he said.